MMA Preview – Khalil Rountree Jr vs Karl Roberson at UFC Fight Night 203
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
KHALIL ROUNTREE JR VS KARL ROBERSON FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 203? Saturday 12th March, 2022 - 22:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 203? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 203? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Fight Night 203 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 203? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
KHALIL ROUNTREE JR VS KARL ROBERSON LOWDOWN
Khalil Rountree Jr (9-5(1)) returns after his first win since 2019 and it was a peak-Rountree performance. He crippled Modestas Bukauskas with strikes although he utilized the controversial side kick to completely disable the knee. Nonetheless, that TKO came with great relief after getting TKO’d by Ion Cutelaba (2019) and then outpointed by Marcin Pachnio (2021) who was on a three-fight skid at the time.
Karl Roberson (9-4) has had a miserable couple of years. His last win was a submission over Roman Kopylov back in 2019. Since then, he got submitted himself by Marvin Vettori (2020) and Brendan Allen (2021) while dealing with a host of cancelled fights due injuries, illnesses and botched weight cuts.
KHALIL ROUNTREE JR VS KARL ROBERSON PREDICTION
Roberson has only lost to top-tier grapplers, and he will be safe in the knowledge that Rountree will want to keep the fight on the feet. The problem for Roberson is that Rountree is a genuine light heavyweight and when he is on, he is an unstoppable Muay Thai monster.
Roberson is a kickboxer by trade who can grapple and although he is the same height and only giving up two inches in reach, he will be the smaller man on the night. He has some impressive submission wins in the bank and he would pounce on the opportunity to get the fight to the floor.
However, to do that, he will need to get close to Rountree which can be a death sentence. Roberson will still back his striking, throwing jabs and kicks from range hoping to set up a takedown. Who wins the exchanges will really depend on what Rountree shows up. He is too inconsistent to make it to the top of the division, but on the other hand Roberson has not won a fight since 2019 so this is hard to call.
Surprisingly, Rountree is the underdog, so he is a good shout with a knockout likely, but we are leaning towards Roberson being able to seal a couple takedowns to earn a decision or even a submission depending on how tired Rountree gets.
Prediction: Roberson via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Roberson via KO/TKO
